Tracked readerboards or marquees provide tracks or slots in which two opposing edges of letter, number or word panels can be inserted. An example of a tracked readerboard 100 is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the readerboard 100 can accommodate word panels 104, letter or other character panels 108, and span-over panels 112. Readerboards are commonly used by retail stores, restaurants and other establishments to advertise offerings or to otherwise communicate information, because such readerboards 100 are relatively inexpensive, and can be readily changed to display different messages.
As shown in FIG. 2, taken along cross-section A-A of FIG. 1, word panels 104 and character panels 108 are typically provided in dimensions that allow such panels 104, 108 to occupy a single row 114 of the readerboard 100. The rows 114 are defined by tracks 116 having either one channel (e.g., tracks 116a and 116c at the top and bottom of the readerboard 100, respectively) or two channels (e.g., track 116b). With reference now to FIG. 3, a span-over panel 112 occupies at least a portion of two or more rows 114 of a readerboard 100. Accordingly, a span-over panel 112 allows a readerboard 100 having rows 114 of a first track height (or distance between tracks 116) to display panels having a height that is integral multiples of the provided row height, up to the total number of rows 114 provided by the readerboard 100. However, span-over panels 112 are prone to being blown out of a readerboard 100 by the wind.
A typical panel 104, 108 or 112 is formed on an acrylic substrate. Acrylic substrates have the advantage of being translucent, which is desirable when used in connection with readerboards 100 having internal lighting. Acrylic is also relatively inexpensive. However, acrylic is relatively brittle, and therefore panels 104-112 formed using acrylic substrates are easily broken, for example, when a panel 104-112 falls or is blown off of an elevated readerboard 100 onto pavement below.
The characters or words that have been used on panels 104-112 have been relatively simple and inexpensive to produce. For example, panels 104-112 may use characters formed from cut vinyl adhered to an acrylic substrate. Panels 104-112 may also have characters formed from ink deposited either directly on the acrylic panel or on an intermediate layer that is adhered to the acrylic substrate with relatively large blocks of a single, contiguous color. As a result, readerboard panels 104-112 usually are limited to the use of single colors, or of relatively large contiguous blocks of color, and relatively simple designs. Accordingly, readerboard panels have not featured full color graphic images. Furthermore, readerboard panel graphics have been limited in size, and have not extended across adjacent panels. Accordingly, readerboard panels have been limited in their visual impact. Large panels having graphics have been screwed to sign boards. However, the use of screws makes the panels difficult to attach and remove. In addition, such systems often damage the readerboard to which the graphic is attached. Accordingly, such systems have not been successful.